LOCAL

Myerslee, manatee rescued from Orange River, released in Caloosahatchee after rehab at zoo

Michael Braun
Fort Myers News-Press

With the flick of his paddle-like tail, Myerslee, a 520-pound manatee, scooted off the rescue hoist and into the water around Horton Park in Cape Coral.

Adam Brown, an Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission public information officer, offered his support, the muscular kind, as a crew from Zoo Tampa At Lowry Park lifted Myerslee from the box truck he was hauled in from Tampa.

The aquatic mammal, rescued in April, returned to the Caloosahatchee on Tuesday in a combined effort of the FWC and Zoo Tampa.

"It was a very quick turnaround," Marie Filipek, senior animal care professional at Zoo Tampa, said. "Which is good."

 When first found Myerslee was about 70 pounds lighter and in distress.

The rescue took place on the Orange River near the state Route 80 bridge, not too far from the Manatee Park area where many of the animals congregate in a warm water refuge.

"He was reported by a citizen (to the manatee hotline) on April 23 as having a buoyancy issue," Ana Nader, a marine mammal biologist with the FWC.

An assessment of the animal confirmed that he was in need of care and a team of FWC officers and others corralled him, eventually transferring him to the Tampa rehabilitation facility, one of four such stations in Florida.

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"Myerslee", a male manatee rescued in April from the Orange River was released Tuesday morning, July 27, 2021 in Cape Coral after being rehabilitated at Zoo Tampa.

Filipek said the manatee is about 2 years old and is considered a sub-adult.

Nader stressed that the issue with Myerslee was not caused by red tide.

"He was overbuoyant and tilting to one side," she said.

Filipek explained the over-bouyancy could have been caused by a number of issues such as internal or a boat strike. Myerslee does have such strike scars but Nader said they are well-healed.

She said the return was made at the Horton Park ramp because they attempt to return rehabbed animals as close as possible to where they were collected.

The Zoo Tampa rehab facility currently has rescued 24 manatees and has released six this year. There are 19 remaining under treatment at Zoo Tampa.

"Every manatee life is important," Nader said, in a nod to a skew of manatee deaths and news of affected animals in Florida. "We try to help as many as we can."

Ways you can help manatees: 

• Observe manatees from a distance to limit disturbance. Disturbing manatees at their warm-water sites may cause them to leave these areas during the winter.

• Follow posted manatee protection zones.

• Wear polarized sunglasses to spot them moving, grazing and resting in the water.

• Keep a lookout for the circular “footprints” or ripples they leave on the surface of the water.

• Follow manatee viewing guidelines, and always observe manatees from a respectful distance.

• Don’t feed or water manatees. Doing so is illegal and can put manatees at risk.

• Report injured, entangled, orphaned or dead manatees to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline: 888-404-FWCC (3922), #FWC on your cellphone or text Tip@MyFWC.com.

• Purchase a manatee decal or license plate and let your friends know how you’re helping support the FWC’s manatee conservation efforts.

• Contribute to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida’s Marine Mammal Fund by visiting WildlifeFlorida.org and clicking on “Support Us,” “Funding Priorities” and “Marine Mammal Fund.”

Manatee hotline

The FWC encourages the public to report careless boat operators and other boating and wildlife violations to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922). The FWC encourages all boaters to operate in a safe manner, not only with public safety in mind, but for the safety of Florida’s wildlife.

Connect with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook)@MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or mbraun@news-press.com.

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